Ginsburg’s Podcast Preview: ‘Driving Participation’ markets nonprofit influence

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone.

If you’re new to either podcasts or this occasional column, click here for background information. We preview specific podcasts to reveal their topics, formats and lessons from listening.

Byron Ginsburg

Featured Podcast

The Driving Participation podcast, hosted by the president of a Philadelphia-area creative agency, is lower-profile than many in the marketing space, yet high-impact just the same. It delivers outstanding marketing-based information and process recommendations on both foundational and advanced levels, without the “influencer salesmanship” heard on higher-profile podcasts featuring a rotation of familiar guests.

This may be because of the nonprofit nature of the Driving Participation podcast. If that sounds like a reason to not read further, first consider that many of the very same marketing activities occur in both for-profit and nonprofit organizations: problem-solving, branding, targeting, identifying personas, attraction and conversions, just to name a few.

Consider this podcast’s thesis: “A podcast for sharing great ideas that get people involved in organizations. Learn what marketers and fundraisers around the country are doing to get people to show up, stick around and give back.”

Substituting a few terms from the for-profit world brings the similarities to light: engage versus show up; retain versus stick around; and loyalty versus give back, etc.

That said, these dialogues address how to be successful within the attributes common to nonprofits (and often at for-profits) including reduced budgets, limited staffing, involved board members, etc. Instead of hearing from CMO’s at big-box or brand name organizations, this podcast’s featured guests are accomplished professionals from arts, animal, education, and health organizations, and others similarly pursuing the “greater good.”

Through plain-talk and hands-on experience, they often address:

•      Branding
•      Design
•      Storytelling
•      Search Engine Optimization
•      Content generation
•      Fundraising
•      Grant writing
•      Connecting
•      Creating culture

In addition to many other relevant topics, the essential building blocks of a successful organization are presented. A bonus rarely seen with other podcasts is a transcript in .pdf format capturing all the dialogue — a valuable tool for delving deeper or for scanning versus listening.

Name: Driving Participation

Host: Beth Brodovsky, founder of Iris Creative, Fort Washington (Philadelphia)

Source: Iris Creative

Find it here: Stitcher; iTunes; Iris Creative

Genre: Nonprofit marketing

Motto: Learn what marketers and fundraisers around the country are doing to get people to show up, stick around and give back.

Length: Up to 60 minutes

History/In the Can: 150-plus recordings

Format: 1-on-1 interviews with actively-engaged “everyman” marketers

What can be learned: Though often on a smaller scale, nonprofit marketers use nearly the same fundamental activities and principles as their for-profit peers. Startups in particular can learn and accomplish much by implementing these proven “blocking and tackling” tactics.

Where to start: Scanning the numbered archives on the program’s iTunes page quickly provides many topics to explore and choose from.

While the Driving Participation podcast is not highlighted by marquee speakers seen at SUCCESS Magazine, TED talks or other popular channels, a wealth of knowledge is available from the on-point and topical plain-speak shared by a creative agency owner of 20-plus years and her roster of accomplished peers who hone the marketing craft daily.

Have a favorite podcast? Let me know by leaving a comment or email me at byron.ginsburg@gmail.com

Byron Ginsburg provides content writing, media outreach and marketing consulting services to individuals and organizations seeking to raise their visibility, recognition and revenue.